Paramount/Sky Television (UK)
Background: Paramount/Sky Television was a joint venture between Paramount and Sky, formed in 1987 distributing British and American shows. The merger ended in 1995, when Sky One got a brand new look by Novocom. 1st Logo (1987-1989) Nicknames: "The Paramount/Sky Boxes", "Cheesy Boxes", "Zooming Paramount/Sky Boxes", "The Boxes from Heck" Logo: On a white-black gradient background, we see a box containing the 1986 Paramount logo on it, with the Gulf+Western byline zooming in. Then, that box moves to the left and then, another box, this time containing the 1984 Sky Channel logo, zooms in. Suddenly, the background turns into a rapidly flashing orange-green-grey-purple-scarlet-yellow one. Then, the text "Paramount/Sky Television" in black zooms up to the screen (a la the Constantin Film (Germany) logo) and stops at the top of the boxes. Suddenly, the whole logo explodes in a very bright yellow-red flash. After everything has exploded, the text "PRESENTS" in white fades in near the bottom. FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo... Cheesy Factor: ...which just scream the 80's! The design is overly eye-hurting, the animation doesn't look very good and the explosion is very cheap and primitive. Music/Sounds: At first, we hear a electronic piano note when the boxes zoom in. Then, a distorted, breathy synth tune is heard when the background changes. Suddenly, a extremely loud explosion sound happens, almost muffling up the synth music. Finally we hear the electronic piano note again. Availability: Extinct in the UK, bordering on very common in the US. It's seen on most PSTV shows from the 1980's. However, when the second logo came out, this logo was taken off the air forever. Scare Factor: NIGHTMARE!!! This ident can scare you without warning, along with the rough animation and zoom-ins (similar to Viacom's V of Doom and Four Star). The flashing background can also give mental seizures and scares to many people. One of the most scariest television logos ever created. However, it got a little better with the next logo below... 2nd Logo (1989-December 1994) Nickname: "The Paramount/Sky Boxes II: The Sequel!" Logo: Against a salad green (or sea blue) background, we see two merged boxes, each one containing the 1986 Paramount and 1989 Sky One logos on them, sliding and flipping in. Then, a huge, bright star appears out of nowhere, creating the text "Paramount/Sky Television" in white, with "Television" below "Paramount/Sky". Then, everything flys away and the text "Presents" fades in. Starting in 1990, the logo in the second box is replaced by the 1990 Sky One logo. FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo, which is in 2D. Music/Sounds: A shortened version of the 1989 Sky One music, mixed with a short version of the 1986 Paramount music and complete with two calm chimes and a zapping sound. Availability: Rare. It's seen on most 1989-1995 airings of Paramount/Sky shows. Scare Factor: Minimal, bordering on moderate, the music and animation might get to some first-time viewers. 3rd Logo (December 1994-1995) Nickname: "The Paramount/Sky Boxes III: The Next Generation" Logo: On a sunny sky background, we see two boxes containing the 1986 Paramount and 1993 Sky One logos, rising out of a body of water and shining. Then, the text "Paramount/Sky Television" files in and settles above the boxes. Then, "PRESENTS" appears below everything and suddenly, the whole logo (except for the background and water) flys away and we fade out. FX/SFX: Everything, done in incredible CGI animation. Music/Sounds: A gorgeous violin tune, with a majestic re-orchestration version of the 1986 Paramount and 1993 Sky One medleys. Availability: Ultra common. It's seen on most 1994-1995 airings of Paramount/Sky TV shows. However, this logo didn't last any longer, as the 1995 Sky One ident was being shown on TV. Scare Factor: None to minimal. The re-orchestrations of the 1986 Paramount and Sky One medleys might surprise some, but it's a great logo with nice music, excellent state-of-the-art animation and a majestic nature. One of the most great logos ever made and a fine end to this company with a memorable amount of logos.